A Conversation with SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.
January 20, 2026
About This Webinar
At a time when students and families are questioning the value of college and higher education leaders face difficult decisions about improving outcomes and economic mobility, Michael Itzkowitz of The HEA Group hosted a timely conversation with former U.S. Secretary of Education and current SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.
In this engaging discussion, Chancellor King shares insights from his new book, Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives, and explores the critical challenges and opportunities facing higher education today.
What We Discussed:
A Unique Journey: King's personal upbringing and the path that led him to become a champion for educational opportunity for all
The Path to Higher Education Leadership: How his experiences informed his approach to education policy and leadership
Increasing ROI for Students: Practical strategies higher education leaders can implement now to improve student outcomes
Economic Mobility: How colleges and universities can better serve as engines of opportunity and upward mobility for all students
The Value Question: Addressing public skepticism about higher education while demonstrating its continued importance
About Chancellor John B. King Jr.
John B. King Jr. served in President Barack Obama's cabinet as the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education. Over the course of his extensive and influential career in public education, he has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal, the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as New York State Education Commissioner, a college professor, and the president and CEO of the Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization.
King is currently the chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation's largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Both of King's parents were career New York City public school educators. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, an education researcher and former teacher, and his two daughters.
About The Book
Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives
In this powerful memoir, John King recounts how teachers saved his life and set him on a path to educational leadership. After losing both parents as a child, King found refuge, purpose, and possibility in school—and in the educators who believed in him when he couldn't believe in himself.
The book is both a tribute to transformative teachers and a call to action for investing in public education. King argues that great teaching isn't just about content delivery—it's about seeing and nurturing the potential in every student, especially those facing the greatest challenges.
About the HEA Group
The HEA Group is a research and policy organization focused on college access, value, and economic mobility. Through research, analysis, and convening important conversations like this one, HEA Group works to advance evidence-based practices that help more students achieve their educational and career goals.
Continue the Conversation
For more insights on higher education value, student outcomes, and economic mobility, contact us.
